The final strike
by DeadlyFandoms
Summary: ( Harley Quinn and The Joker) In life it's not about how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit and still carry on. After all the years she's spent with the Joker, Harley has finally had enough of being abused by her clown lover. [COMPLETE]


**Author's notes: **Yeah, I don't really know what this is…It's probably just a little one-shot to distract my mind from the fact that I need to finish planning and start my Labyrinth fanfiction! :P  
But regardless, I hope you enjoy! Reviews make my day. (:

**!**

**The final strike**

"Harley! -" The gruff, yet somewhat entertaining voice cried out. "- You've really messed it up this time!" Harley's feet her manically striking the ground as she bolted away from her enraged lover, she knew the she wouldn't be coming out of this fight with nothing less than a black eye. She slowed down a bit to speak.

"Please, Puddin'! I didn't mean any harm!" The Joker grabbed her by her shoulders and put his face right up to hers.

"But you did cause harm!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Puddin'…!"

"Do you know how long I worked on that plan?! Do you?!"

"Yes…" Harley whimpered.

"Then why did you feel the need to interfere?!" The Joker's voice was now at it's highest volume.

"I….I….I thought that I was helping you…." She reasoned.

"Well you didn't help me! You just made everything worse!"

"I won't do it again, Puddin', I promise!" She cried out. The Joker's voice morphed into a sinister tone of threat. It was a chilling sound.

"I really don't think it matters now, Harley. You see, When the Batman gets out of one of my traps it often takes a while to design and build another efficient trap, and by that point he's already waltzed back in here and the two of us end up either escaping by the skin of our teeth or shipped back over to Arkham!"

"Can't you just use one of your old plans?"

"Of course not!" The Joker turned away from her, swiftly and angrily. Harley crept behind him, put a soft hand on his shoulder and spoke with quiet question…

"Puddin.?" He swung around violently to face her again.

"Don't call me 'Puddin''" He exclaimed.

"Sorry!" She snivelled.

"You have no idea how furious am I with you this time, Harley! You have been a burden to me more times than I can count and it's really starting to get on my nerves!" He growled.

"Please don't say that, Mister J…"

"No! I _will _say it Harley! You know better than to interfere with my plans! Don't you remember what happened last time?" He grinned evilly. Harley nodded. "And I assume you don't want 'history' to repeat itself?" Harley nodded again. "Then I suggest you keep your filthy hands out of my business!"

"Then why am I here?" She questioned bravely. "I thought you loved me?"

"You were a kind of release for me Harley, you were there when I needed you. If I'd have known how much of a disaster you'd be for me I never would've bothered."

"That's not true!" She demanded.

"Oh, but it is."

"What about the stories you told me?!""

"What? The abusive father? The deep and severe need to make people laugh? That story changes every time I tell it."  
"I don't believe you! If you really felt like that you would've left me ages ago! I think you do have feelings for me, you just don't want to admit it!" The Joker raised a wild hand and struck Harley hard across the cheek and she fell weakened to the ground with a whimper.

"Don't speak to me like that!" He growled. Harley's mind whirled and snapped.

"Mister J, I have had enough of you treating me in this way! I try my hardest to help you and all you do is hit me! -" The Joker froze with shock. "- And I love you! That's why I always came back to you, that's why I always put up with being hit! But I've had enough." She stared furiously at him - wanting to shout some more, but instead she stormed into the room she called her own and locked the door behind her. The Joker remained silent.

Harley grabbed a bag from underneath her broken bed and stood there for a while. She didn't exactly have much to pack…but also…was this it? The Joker had been the origin of her Harley Quinn days, she had been with him for years, throughout all the cries, all the kisses and all the punches, could she really go back to being Harleen Quinzel?

It was a heart breaking decision, but she'd been hurt too much by this, and although the Joker may have somewhat lovingly corrupted her mind back when she was a doctor at Arkham, she felt that leaving was the healthiest thing for her. She packed what little she had into her bag - including a framed picture of her Mister J.

She sat in front of her cracked and dirt smothered mirror and began to wash away the make-up. It had been so long since she'd seen her real face, it was scary to her, like a stranger was staring out of the mirror. Then her blonde curls burst out from her costume. Then she lost her costume completely and threw on the scraggy outfit she once wore here all those years ago.

She gazed around at all of the comedy-based weapons they'd created over the years, ever trick flower, joke bun or over-sized hammer. Their legacy as a duo. She was leaving 'Harley Quinn' behind.

She emerged sheepishly out of the door, the Joker was nowhere in site. She search the halls and endless empty rooms but still nothing…apart from his own little room of solitude where he often escaped to. She reluctantly walked towards the door.

"Mister J? I know you're in there…I've decided that I should leave…I didn't want to, because…I love you…But what is happening is wrong… -" Harley swallowed hard and blinked away the tears. "I don't know if I'll see you again…but I don't want to leave you forever…just please don't let your smile get too long…and if you ever need my help…you know where to find me….Goodbye, Puddin'." Harley left that night, her final bruise stinging on her cheek. Her heart was aching, he obsessive prison love for the Joker was missing, but she was now free from his fists.

As she walked out of the door she dropped her clown costume behind her, leaving all evidence of her life with the Joker in his warehouse. She walked hurriedly through the busy streets…the rain was pouring down hard. She didn't look back, if she did she knew that her heart would begin to betray her rational thoughts and she would end up going back.

If she was going to do this she just needed to do it, and quickly. She kept walking, looking down at her feet, when impact suddenly stopped her. She darted her head up and saw a police offer looking at her with concern.

"You should watch where you're going miss." He said with concern. She was dazed by his caring tone, then she remembered that she must look like a normal person. "Hey, that's some bruise you got there, how'd you get that?" Her mind was racing. She had to make up some excuse. She couldn't say she got hit, and she certainly couldn't say it was the Joker. She sighed to calm her anxiety.

"I walk down these streets a lot in rush hour. It's been extra busy today, and with the weather I just ended up being pushed against the wall by the crowd." She smiled at the officer nervously.

"Well you look after yourself, Miss."

"I will." She replied.

"What's your name?"

"Harleen." Then she realised he might link that to Harleen Quinzel, and then to Harley Quinn!

"Huh, interesting name. Anyway, enjoy your day."

"I'll try." Harleen said back to him.

**!**

The Joker sat in false darkness. Just sitting there. There were very few times in his life that he'd realised that he'd been a fool, but this time he knew more than ever.

He may have only admitted it a couple of time, but he did love Harley, but his short temper always got in the way of that and now he may have pushed her away for good. He never realised how lucky he'd been that she stayed with him for all those years, she really had given up everything to be with him.

She gave up her career. Life. Sanity. She gave up her entire self to be with a psychotic clown criminal, and he beat her for that. It just proved that even the most dedicated and crazy people can be driven away.

All it takes is one final strike, and before you know it they're gone. Forever.

**!**

**Author's notes: **So there you have it. I hope you liked it and I hope I didn't give you a feels attack. I don't really know what else to say really. Please leave reviews, and if you like the Child's play films I posted my first ever Child's play fanfiction the other day, please check it out, it's called "Murder of the heart".

I'm also going to be posting two short Labyrinth fanfictions before I start my long one just so I can get a feel for it, so I can get used to writing as those characters. (If that makes sense) So keep you eyes pealed!

Once again, Thank you so much for reading! :D


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